Saturday, August 31, 2013

Welcome to the Early Childhood and Future Teaching Level I Blog! My name is Dotty Burrows and I am looking forward to having a great time together this year.

We will be blogging from time to time this year for assignments so please check in from time to time. There will also be messages for you and your parents so be sure to keep up to date.

I am really excited that we are having a "Lab School" called Magic Moments right in our classroom this year. It will be starting shortly after the beginning of school, and you will be working with children there, in both Child Care I and Child Care II. You will need to think about the dress code for the Center and follow it every day during class. Each student will be assigned a locker during their first day of class, and you will be able to keep a change of clothes there. You will have time at the end of class to change your clothes if you need to. We might decide to get T-shirts to keep at school so that you won't have problems with the dress code.

FYI for working at the school or child care center with young children, the Future Teacher and Early Childhood program follow the policies of the Wolfeboro Arfea Children's Center. Please pay particular attention to the following dress code and personal appearance requirements.

A. PERSONAL APPEARANCE: (board approved 3/27/07 – 1, a, c, d, e,
& 5)

1.Childcare
employees may wear sport clothes appropriate to the activities for the
children. Clothing should be in good
repair and free of tears, holes and shredding.
(For safety reasons, sneakers or low casual shoes (with enclosed toes
and heals) are required for outdoor activities.
(Board approved 5/18/07). See
Employee Injury and Illness Prevention Handbook).

2.We
must also keep in mind that we are professionals coming in contact with the
public and that we work with pre-adolescent children. Therefore, beach attire may be worn only at
the beach and clothing worn during regular program activities should fit with
sufficient modesty to be appropriate for working with children. Please be aware that bending and stooping are
a regular part of our day. (Unacceptable
attire includes: tops that bare the
midriff or tops that reveal cleavage, loungewear
including pajamas, baggy sweatpants, tight leggings unless worn with a
sufficiently long top, spandex clothing, shorts and skirts that do not
reach fingertips with an arm extended, exposing, low riding skirts, shorts or
jeans, and clothing and accessories that display suggestive or inappropriate
message).

3.Infant/Toddler
employees are to avoid jewelry or items that the children may grasp and
ingest. The safety of such items will be
left to the discretion of the supervisor and Director.

4.All
piercings, with the exception of earrings appropriate to the age of the child
the employee is working with, should be removed prior to arriving at work.

5.Permanent
or temporary deliberate markings of the skin that can be perceived as
inappropriate, suggestive, or unprofessional must be covered while at work.

6.Hair
colors, other than those expected to be found on humans naturally, are
unacceptable.

7.Office employees should dress
appropriately to meet the public regularly.
Shorts

arenot considered professional office
attire.

8.Kitchen
employees must contain their hair if it is long, and not wear open toes shoes
or long dangling earrings.

9.Smoking
is prohibited throughout the building and grounds, or on any bus, transporting
children, and whenever on duty with the children.

While on duty,
employees should present a positive image to the public, and to the children
for whom they are a role model in their appearance, language, actions and
demeanor. Professionalism and courtesy
are essential in promoting a favorable impression of the Children’s Center.

Upon a first-time violation of the dress code, a student will be sent back to school and will receive a 0 for the day. Subsequent violations will be subject to
disciplinary actions to be determined by the Center director and the teacher at school. Final interpretation of
the dress code and its enforcement is at the discretion of the Executive
Director. If the violation is at Magic Moments, we will try to have T-shirts for you at school.

NOTE: No one that smells of cigarette or other forms of smoke are allowed to work with children younger than 2 years old. Talk to me if this is an issue.

Well, it is Labor Day Weekend. I am excited about Tuesday and seeing you all bright and early. I am ready for a great year, and I hope you are too. If you see this, please bring in a picture of you when you were pre-school age--or anywhere between the ages of 2 and 5. Also, please bring in you favorite story book from childhood if you still have it. Thanks. See you on Tuesday.